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Mount Diablo above the Diablo Valley, seen from Dinosaur Hill ParkPhoto: Mister Chunch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Insider Tips

What I would tell a friend before they signed.

5 working documents on buying, selling, and paying for a home in the East Bay, for California contracts, not scraped from a national blog.

Start here

Two questions, two different reading orders

Most people arrive knowing roughly which side of the table they are on. Pick the one that sounds like you and read in this order, it takes about half an hour, and it will save you a week of guessing.

If you are selling

From “what is it worth?” to closed

  1. Read the Selling Your Home, Made Simple checklist

    Prep that pays for itself, and the prep that never does.

  2. Check your address the way buyers will

    Flood zone, earthquake, wildfire and nearby EPA sites, from the federal record, before a buyer asks.

  3. Check what your street is doing

    Days on market and typical value for your city, with an as-of date.

  4. Model the next purchase

    Most sellers are also buyers. Know the payment before you list.

  5. Ask what your home is worth

    Give us the address. You get a value range with the recent sales behind it, kept in your account.

Want a pricing view on your home? Fill in the seller questionnaire.

If you are buying

From “can we even afford this?” to keys

  1. Read the Buying a Home, Made Simple checklist

    Six sections, from pre-approval to recording.

  2. Find your real number

    Run the affordability calculator before you fall in love with a house.

  3. Understand the financing

    Pre-approval that carries weight, and what the payment really includes.

  4. Narrow to two or three cities

    Compare commute, schools, and price across the communities.

  5. Check the address before you offer

    Flood zone, earthquake, wildfire and nearby EPA sites, from the federal record.

Ready to be matched against what is coming to market? Fill in the buyer questionnaire, or keep it in your account as My Home Search and invite your partner.

The library

Everything, in one place

Written guides and live instruments. Updated as the market and the contracts change, not once a year.

Keys handed over on the porch of a suburban home

Buying a Home, Made Simple

Smart steps, local guidance, and a clear plan, so you can buy with confidence.

GuideFor buyers~9 min readProgress tracking
A sunlit living room staged and ready for photography

Selling Your Home, Made Simple

A clear plan, smart pricing, and strong marketing, so you can sell with confidence and less stress.

GuideFor sellers~7 min readProgress tracking
Paperwork, a calculator and a pen on a kitchen table

Financing Basics

Understand your true monthly payment, and buy with confidence in the East Bay.

GuideBuyers and sellers~8 min readProgress tracking
A calculator and a small model house on a desk

Mortgage Calculator

Principal, interest, property tax, insurance, HOA dues, and mortgage insurance, the whole payment, not the flattering part of it. Updates as you type, with an amortisation view.

ToolLiveRates prefill from FRED
A household budget laid out beside a laptop

Affordability Calculator

Start from the rent you already pay and work backwards to a realistic price range. Shows the payment-based maximum next to the debt-to-income maximum and states the gap plainly.

ToolLiveStart here if you are early

Every guide is free, and none of them is behind a form

No email wall, no “download the PDF”, no drip campaign waiting on the other side. Progress through a guide is remembered on your own device only, and nothing is sent anywhere. A free account is only for what you want kept: your home search, a saved budget, the homes we recommend for you, and your home values.

See how progress works

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Discover how we can help you make your next move

Read everything first, that is what it is for. When a question needs a person rather than a page, call or text. No pressure, no drip campaign.

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